Collegium Sapientiae

Established in 1968, the Collegium Sapientiae stands before you. It breathes with a legacy far older than its modern structure. This Collegium Sapientiae isn’t just any student dormitory. It carries the torch of Freiburg’s oldest student residence, reaching back to 1501. The original “House of Wisdom”, as it was known then, was located on Herrenstraße. Its founder, Johannes Kerer, a university teacher, Münsterpfarrer, and later Weihbischof of Augsburg, envisioned a haven for twelve financially struggling students. Kerer, through his will, bequeathed the funds to create this special place. He mirrored his own experience as a scholarship recipient in Heidelberg, offering a helping hand to bright minds facing hardship. He meticulously crafted the statutes, the Statuta Collegii Sapientiae, between 1496 and 1501. The Collegium Sapientiae’s journey has been quite the adventure. The original building was sold in 1775, later becoming a hospital thanks to the generosity of Katharina Egg and Johann Christian Wentzinger. It was bombed in World War II, leaving only fragments of its facade. The new Collegium Sapientiae we see today, on Lorettostraße, was born from the initiative of Catholic student pastor Wolfgang Ruf. It intentionally echoes the spirit of the old “Sapienz”. Today, the Collegium Sapientiae offers housing to one hundred students from the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität and the Musikhochschule. It also houses the Catholic University Community office. The international student community thrives here. The ground and basement levels are fully accessible. The current community operates under the 2003 residence statute, overseen by the Archdiocese of Freiburg.